© UNICEF/Suman Paul Himu
A Rohingya family
stand outside their home in a refugee camp in Teknaf, Bangladesh.
8 June 2023Human Rights
Bangladesh must “immediately
suspend” a pilot repatriation project for Rohingya refugees to return to
Myanmar, where they face “serious risks” to their lives and freedom, a
UN-appointed independent rights expert said on Thursday.
Tom
Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
in Myanmar, insisted that current conditions there were “anything but
conducive” for the return of Rohingya refugees.
He stressed that the very generals who had launched “genocidal”
attacks against the Rohingya, causing hundreds of thousands to flee the
country, were now in power and “attacking civilian populations while denying
the Rohingya citizenship and other basic rights”.
According to Mr. Andrews’ statement, Bangladesh officials have
been planning to send back to Myanmar, potentially very soon, an initial
group of 1,140 Rohingya refugees, using a combination of threats and
financial rewards.
Confined to
‘designated area’
The returnees would reportedly pass through “transit” centres in
Rakhine state before being resettled in a “designated area of 15 newly
constructed villages” which they will “not be allowed to leave freely”.
“The return of Rohingya refugees under these conditions would
likely violate Bangladesh’s obligations under international law and expose
Rohingya to gross human rights violations and, potentially, future
atrocity crimes,” Mr. Andrews said.
In March, Bangladesh authorities facilitated two visits by
Myanmar junta authorities to the Bangladesh camps, said the UN rights office OHCHR.
According to reports, at least some of the refugees were coerced
into participating in so-called ‘verification’ interviews with junta officials.
Bangladesh and the military regime’s officials also coordinated a ‘go see’ visit
to Rakhine State for some Rohingya refugees.
Bangladeshi officials said the refugees had expressed “general
satisfaction” with the arrangements being made for their return, but these
assurances were contradicted by reports that those who participated in the trip
had unequivocally rejected the repatriation plans, OHCHR said.
“I implore Bangladesh to immediately suspend the
repatriation pilot programme,” Mr. Andrews said.
Stand with Rohingya
“I also urge the international community to stand with Rohingya
refugees in both word and deed”, he added.
“This must include reversing the failure to provide a humane
level of support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who are unable to
pursue livelihoods, continue to face hunger and malnutrition, and whose
children have very limited educational opportunities”.
Tom Andrews and other independent human rights experts are
appointed by the UN Human
Rights Council, in Geneva, under its Special
Procedures.
They are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic
issues or country situations. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary
for their work.
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